FOLLOW THE READER: Puerto Vallarta rentals perfect for families

Published
4:00 am PST, Sunday, December 5, 2004

For the past two years, our family (including two boys, 4 years and 6 months) has spent a beautiful, relaxing and fun vacation at Vallarta Shores International in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Vallarta Shores operates condos and villas in the Los Muertos and Conchas Chinas Beach areas (a nice distance from the ultra-touristy resorts). Last year, we stayed in a condo with a private pool, and this year we opted for a beachfront villa. It had five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a palapa roof over the central living area, a sparkling pool and beautiful foliage, but the best part was the staff -- cook, maid and houseman. We woke to freshly brewed coffee and made-to-order-breakfast. We didn't have to do laundry, make our beds or pick up after the kids. We enjoyed late-afternoon margaritas and the smell of a gourmet dinner being prepared. The staff even held our baby while we ate and arranged for massages.

At the villa, we read in our palapa, lounged in the pool, played in the surf, watched iguanas nap on our rooftop and searched for hermit crabs on our private beach patio. We also made trips into town for lunch and shopping, and on our previous trip we went horseback riding through the jungle. On all of our adventures, we encountered friendly locals who were very patient with our less than perfect Spanish.